“I’m afraid we’re here about your brother, sir.” Bassett’s tone was respectful.

“Jon?” Okay, dumb question. It wasn’t as if he had any other brother. But his muscles were freezing up now, anticipating a blow.

“Yes, sir. I’m afraid we have bad news. Perhaps you might want to sit down.”

Cord pushed off his jacket, but there was no way he was sitting down. “You can skip the tact and cushioning with me. Just tell me what kind of trouble he’s in now.”

The men exchanged glances, but the detective picked up the ball. “We received a 911 call late this afternoon. When officers responded to the scene, we found a man lying at the bottom of the stairs. He was deceased. I’m sorry for your loss, sir-”

That had been tacked on as if the detective had suddenly forgotten his usual lines in a play.

Cord sagged against the desk. There was no love lost between him and Jon. Years ago he’d stopped believing his brother would find an ethic or principle in his character.

But five tons of flash-flood memories suddenly seared through his mind. Cord had been roaming the world for God knew how many years now. He’d still likely be hightailing it from Everest to the Amazon, from Delphi to Paris to Rio…if their mother hadn’t come down with cancer. By the time he’d severed his work ties and got back to Washington, it was too late. Mom was gone. Dad had crashed and had to be put in what they discreetly called a rehab center. Over the last years, Jon had turned into someone Cord couldn’t even recognize, much less reach. And Zoe had left him, because coming home to clean up family messes wasn’t exactly her specialty.

More fool Cord. He’d actually thought she was the kind of woman who’d stand by him.